President Obama's Executive Order On LGBT Discrimination In Federal Workplace Effective Today

(photo: Pete Souza)

Announced last year, President Obama's executive order regarding workplace discrimination for LGBT workers in the federal workplace goes into effect today.

The executive order prohibits federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

From the Department of Labor blog:

Each year, federal contractors and subcontractors receive billions of taxpayer dollars to supply goods, provide services and perform construction work for government agencies.

In return, they are held to a reasonable standard that they may not discriminate in hiring, firing, pay, promotion and other employment practices.

Until today, it was discrimination based on sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability and status as a protected veteran that was prohibited.

Now, in the first expansion since 1974, LGBT Americans enjoy these same protections.

Read the full announcement here.